Emergency exit window structure



Feb. 8, 1955 R. STOUDER ETAL 2,701,631

EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l I u l r 54 l8 J a 22 I5 I 48 41 ji 5 TEQM w. iififi wmmm 38 JNVENTORS r ROY STounER 47 Hmvsv Cmmeuen BY Iflevxu LRUTTE'R R. STOUDER ETAL EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW STRUCTURE Feb. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 24, 1953 INVENTORS Rev Sm: ER

BY Haws: Cmmxeum 11mm L-RUTT ER G TLQAWKCSW secure the sash in window closing position.

United States Patent EMERGENCY EXIT WINDOW STRUCTURE Roy Stouder, Goshen, and Harvey :Carbiener and David L. Rutter, Elkhart, Ind., :assignors to Excel Corporation, Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application v lXTovember 24, 1953, Serial No. 394,034

This invention relates to emergency exit window'struc- .ture, and has particular reference to an improved means for releasably securinga push-out type of emergency ex t sash in a vehicle window. opening.

As is well-known, busses, railwaycars and similar public conveyances are frequently equipped with emergency exit windows wherein the Window sash can be quickly removed from thewindowopening to provide an exit for trapped passengers in the event ,of an accident. Many types of emergency .sash are normally retained in place by fastening means which must first be released by operating a lever ,or button before the sash can be-removed from, or swungout in, the windowopening. Other types, such as those commonly known as push-out or knock-out sash, may be removed by simply applying sufficient force to the sash itself, which .force overcomes .the holdingaction of ,the'fastening means .and pushes the sash out in a single operation. This latter type. of sash is gaining increasing favor with safety authorities and also with vehicle manufacturers for the obvious reason that its emergency operation is quicker and more certain, and in many jurisdictions it is 'now specified that the emergency exit windows ,inschool busses must beprovided with sash of the pushout type.

While the push-outer knock-out type sash has proved satisfactory-in most. respects and has the advantage of very fast emergency operation, ,certain distadvantages have been noted in conjunction with the various fastening vmeans heretofore employed to retain the sash in. normal,

window closing position. Thus, in many arrangements, the fastening means include expendable parts which are destroyed, .or lost. Wheneverthe sash is intentionally or accidentally pushed out. This, .of course, necessitates replacement parts andfrequently means that the vehicle must be sent to theirepair garage in order to properly ren o e arrangements, even thoughinone of the fastening elements are destroyed or lost, the vehicle must still be sent to the garage to have thersash restored to window closing position. A few arrangements avoid the above-noted disadvantages but in sodoing usually introduce more complex and xp s ve as anda tcnin stru u e- W e t s disadvantages have been noted in passenger vehicles of all types, they are of particular concern in the case of school busses where the emergency exit sash are sometimes accidentally pushed out'by overly rambunctious students and the inconvenienceand expense of properly re-securing the sash after each such occurrence can become appreciable.

With the foregoing and other considerations in view, it

is the primary object .of the present invention to provide an improved fastening means forreleasably securing a push-out type sash in an emergency exit window, which fastening means has no expendable parts and yet is simple and economical to use. The fastening arrangement provided is particularly well adapted for use in school busses although it can be utilized with improved results in commercial passenger carrying vehicles as well.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an improved push-out sash fastening means which may be quickly and easily reassembled by the vehicle operator to restore the sash to window closing position after it has been intentionally or accidentally pushed out.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved push-out sash fastening means which nora y ta ns e as n t htl ea d 1rattlc-p s10 t t h win o rame A further specific-object of tthejnventionis to provide an improved push-out sash -fastening;means which istsubstantially tamper-proof.

Another objecttofz-the invention istto provide ,a pushout sash comprising normally ,operated fixed. and movable sub-sash or panels.v

Still another object .of the ,invention .-is to providea push-out sash comprising fixed and :movahlesub-sash which can be swingably mounted as a unit. in aawindow opening.

A furtherobjectof the invention ,-is toprovide an :emeren y xlt W ow c nstr ction having: a p sh-cut typ sash which con uction h s good z ealing I characteristics b nthcwindcw framc: -nd:sash,;and yet which eliminates edge sealing and the possiblenecessity for rescaling after the sash has'been pushed out.

A still further object .of theinvcntion is to provide an emergency exit windowv construction which "is economical to manufacture-install andmaintainr Other objects. and advantages willflbecome apparent from the following detailed description read inconjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference numbers designate corresponding parts in all: the

views.

1 taken respectivelyon lines 5... '5zand 6 .6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 7-..-7 of Figure 1 showing .one form-of theimproved push-out ,sash fastening means of the invention;

Figure .8 is a fragmentary vertical section corresponding to the sectionof Figure 7 and showinganother-form of the improved. push-out sash fastening means .of the invention; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged plan viewiofthehead of oneof the screws employed in the invention.

Having reference now :to the drawings,'which illustrate a typical embodimentof the invention for the purpose of disclosure, 10 generally indicates a push-out sashrnounted in a window frame 11 formed by the body panels of the vehicle. The push-out sash 10 comprises side-rails or stiles 12, a top rail cr -header- 1'4 and upper and lower subsash or panels 15,17, the upper panel being movable and the lower panel fixed as is typical-in sash construction for school busses. The stiles 12 are of the double channel type, open at both ends,-and each isformed of an-angle bar 18anda channel bar 20, Fignres 5 and 6,secured together as by welding to provide inner :and outer vertical channels 21, 22, respectively. The header 14, Figure -2, is also of channel conformation, from the same'stock as bars 20, andgis secured between the upper ends of the latter so that its channel 24 communicates with outer vertical channels 22. As may be best seen in Figures 1 and 3, bars are provided .Wiih upper end extensions 25 which are folded over the top of the header .to .give greater rigidity to the sash frame.

Upper and lower panels 15, 17 are substantially conventional double glazed sash, lower panel 17 comprising laminated sheet glass 26, sash glazing rubber 27 and'a supporting frame having a bottom rail 28, stiles 30,131 integrally connected thereto, and a removable top rail 32 to permit access to the glass. Stiles 30, 31 are formed with guide ribs 34, Figure 6, which are received in Weatherstripping 35 mounted in the inner channels 21 of the sash frame stiles 12. As noted hereinabove, lower panel 17 is fixed and is rigidly securedto the sash frame as by screws 37, Figure 1, which pass through the frame stiles 12 and panel ribs 34. In this manner, panel '17 completes the lower portion of the sash frame and its g m mi l rams alsoa he'bo tom railforsaid rame.v

Upper panel is similar in construction to lower panel 17 and comprises laminated sheet glass 38, sash glazing rubber and a frame having a bottom rail 41, stiles 42, 44 and a top rail 45. Stiles 42, 44 and top rail 45 are formed with guide ribs 47, Figures 2 and 5, which are received in Weatherstripping 48 mounted in the outer channels 22 and channel 24 of the sash frame, stiles and header, respectively. Panel 15 is a movable, drop type sash guided by the channels 22 and is maintained in any given position by sash locks 50 (only one of which is shown in Figure 1) which coact in a well-known manner with stops 51 formed in the upper portion of inner channels 21.

The push-out sash 10 is swingably mounted in the window frame 11 by means of a pair of double action hinges 52, Figures 2-4, extending between the body panels 54 forming the sides of the window frame and the stiles 12 of the sash frame adjacent the top rail or header 14 thereof. Each hinge comprises an oliset plate 55 pivotally secured at 57 to the panel 54 and at 58 to the stile 12, a slot 60 being cut in the side wall of the channel bar 20 of the stile to permit the plate to extend therethrough. Double action hinges are provided so that the push-out sash 10 may be swung outwardly 90 in the'frame in spite of the overhanging drip cap 61, Figure 4. Thus, when the sash is first pushed outwardly, it pivots about pivot point 58 until the bottom rail 28 clears the sill 62 of the window frame; thereafter, the hinge plate 55 pivots about pivot point 57 while the sash continues to pivot about point 58 which permits the sash to be fully opened and yet clear the drip cap. It will be understood, of course, that in vehicle constructions which do not employ a drip cap, or where the cap does not overhang the window frame, a conventional type of leaf or piano hinge may be used to pivotally secure the top rail 14 of the sash to the body panel 64 forming the top of the window frame.

The window frame 11 is formed with an upstanding flange 65 at the inner side thereof adjacent the bottom rail 28 of the push-out sash. A strip of resilient weatherstripping 67 is bonded or otherwise secured to the flange, and the rail bears against this Weatherstripping when the sash is in closed position. The sash is releasably secured in window closing position by fastening means which include a plurality of oversized apertures 68, Figure 7, formed in the flange 65 and Weatherstripping 67, and a plurality of shouldered screws 70 corresponding to the apertures and threaded into the bottom rail 28. The heads 71 of the screws are of smaller diameter than the diameter of the apertures but are normally prevented from passing therethrough by means of resilient grommets 72 of some suitable material such as rubber, the grommets being of larger diameter than the diameter of the apertures and positioned on the screws between the heads thereof and the inner surface of the flange as shown. The fastening means just described normally holds the sash 10 securely in window closing position, but when the sash must be opened and sufiicient outward force is applied thereto the heads 71 of the screws force the portions 74 of the grommets abutting the heads into the annular spaces 75 between the shanks of the screws and the edges of the oversized apertures permitting the screw heads to pass through the apertures and the sash to swing free. In this manner, the screws 70 remain with the sash while the grommets remain stuck to the flange or else drop down inside the bus where they can be easily recovered. In re-securing the sash, it is necessary only to remove the screws from the rail 28, reposition the grommets on the screws, and re-thread the latter into the rail with the grommets bearing against the flange as before. The amount of pressure needed to push the sash out can be regulated by the thickness of the grommets through which the screw heads must pass. Thus, the thicker the grommets, the greater the pressure needed, and vice versa. Grommets 72 are moulded into metallic cups '77 to prevent students or other passengers from cutting or otherwise destroying them. The screw heads 71, Figure 9, are of a special type having portions '78 thereof scooped out on opposite sides of the slot 79, as shown, whereby the screws may be tightened with a screw driver but can not be backed out by a screw driver, knife, coin or the like since the instrument will climb up and out of the slot.

Figure 8 illustrates a modified form of grommet comprising a cylindrical body having a diameter that is substantially equal to the diameter of the apertures 68 and a flange 81 integral with the body 80 and having a larger diameter than that of the apertures. These grommets are positioned on the screws 70 so that when the latter are threaded into the bottom rail 28 of the sash the cylindrical portions of the grommets are positioned in the apertures while the flanges 81 thereof bear against the flange 65 to retain the sash in window closing position. In this modified form, when sufficient outward force is applied to the sash, the flanges 81 of the grommets are rolled over the heads of the screws, as indicated by the dash line, and both the grommets and screws are pushed through the apertures to allow the sash to swing free. In re-securing the sash, the screws and grommets are simply removed from the rail and then reassembled therewith from the inside of the flange 65. With either of the forms of grommet described, there are no expendable parts and when the sash is accidentally pushed out, as sometimes happens in school busses, the operator of the bus can easily restore the sash to proper window closing position using an ordinary screw driver.

Window frame 11 is formed with vertical inside flanges 82 which are continuations of the upstanding flange 65 and these flanges carry Weatherstripping 84 against which the stiles 12 of the push-out sash 10 bear when the latter is in closed position. Similarly. the top rail 14 of the sash bears against weather-stripping 85 carried by the body panel 64 forming the top of the window frame. In this manner, the push-out sash is held in sealed and rattle proof relation to the window frame without edge sealing and the possible necessity for rescaling after the sash has been pushed out. The push-out sash can be assembled as a unit in the window frame by simply securing the two hinge plates 55 to the panels 54 by shoulder screws 57, and securing the bottom of the sash in position by means of the shouldered screws 70 and grommets 72, three sets of such screws and grommets being ade quate for an average sized sash as shown.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the subject invention provides a simplified and yet highly efficient emergency exit window construction including a greatly improved releasable fastening means for a pushout tvpe sash. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The embodiments disclosed are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative rather than restrictive, the scone of the invention being indicated by the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. In an emer encv exit window structure having a pushout sash swingably mounted adjacent one rail in a window opening, releasable fastening means to normally maintain said sash in window closing position comprising a fixed member ad acent the opposite rail of said sash having an aperture therethrough. a screw threaded into said opposite rail. the shank and head of said screw extending through said a erture, the aperture being of larger diameter than the diameter of the screw head, and a resilient grommet element of lar er diameter than the diameter of said aperture positioned between the screw head and said fixed member.

2. Releasable fastening means for a push-out sash swingably mounted adjacent one longitudinal rail in a window frame comprising a flange on said window frame adjacent the opposite longitudinal rail of said sash and having an aperture therethrough, a screw threaded into said opposite rail, the shank and head of said screw extending through said aperture, the latter being of larger diameter than the diameter of the screw head, and a resilient grommet element of larger over-all diameter than the diameter of said aperture positioned between the screw had and said flange.

3. In combination with a push-out sash swingably mounted adjacent its top rail in a window frame, releasable fastening means to normally maintain said sash in window closing position comprising a flange on said window frame adjacent the bottom rail of said sash and raving a plurality of circular apertures therein, a plurality of shouldered screws threaded into said bottom rail, the shank and head of each screw extending through one of said apertures, said apertures being of larger diameter than the diameter of the screw heads, and a resilient grommet of larger over-all diameter than the diameter of said apertures positioned on each screw, at least a portion of said grommet being positioned between the screw head and said flange.

4. Releasable fastening means for a push-out sash swingably mounted adjacent one longitudinal rail in a window frame comprising a flange on said window frame adjacent the opposite longitudinal rail of said sash and having an aperture therethrough, a screw threaded into said opposite rail and extending through said aperture, the aperture being of larger diameter than the diameter of the screw head, and resilient means to normally secure said screw in said aperture, said means being operable to permit said screw to pass out of said aperture upon the application of suflicient force to said sash.

5. Emergency exit window structure for vehicles comprising a window frame formed by the body members of the vehicle, a drip cap mounted on the outside of said frame and overhanging the upper edge thereof, a push-out sash, double action hinge means to pivotally mount the top rail of said sash in said frame, said hinge means permitting said sash to swing outwardly 90 in said frame and clear said drip cap, a flange on said frame adiacent the bottom rail of said sash and having an aperture therethrough, a screw threaded into said bottom rail and extending through said aperture, the aperture being of larger diameter than the diameter of the screw head, and resilient means engaging said screw and flange to normally retain the former in said aperture and hold said sash in window closing position, said means being operable upon the application of sufiicient force to said sash to release said screw from said aperture and permit the sash to swing outwardly in said frame.

6. In combination with a push-out sash swingably mounted adjacent its top rail in a window frame, releasable fastening means to normally maintain said sash in window closing position comprising a flange on said window frame adjacent the bottom rail of said sash and having a plurality of circular apertures therein, a plurality of shouldered screws threaded into said bottom rail, the shank and head of each screw extending through one of said apertures, said apertures being of larger diameter than the diameter of the screw heads, and a resilient grommet of larger over-all diameter than the diameter of said apertures positioned against the head of each screw and engaging said flange to secure the screws and lower sash rail to the flange, said grommets being distortable to permit said screws to be disengaged from said flange upon the application of suflicient force to the sash.

7. Structure as defined in claim 6 wherein said grommets are formed of rubber.

8. Structure as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said grommets comprises a cylindrical body having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said apertures, and a flange integral with said body having a diameter larger than that of the apertures.

9. Structure as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said grommets comprises a substantially discoidal body of larger diameter than the diameter of said apertures.

10. Structure as defined in claim 9 wherein each of said grommets is moulded into a rigid, substantially cupshaped element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Reitzel May 26, 1953 

